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Use the Customer’s Words - 4/21/26


The customer is describing a problem on what they call their “computer.” They mentioned that the “screen” doesn’t “move from one page to the other.” They say that the “website’s name is typed at the top,” and it says sample.com with a “line, and then it says ‘home’ after Read more

Affirming the Customer with Empathy - 4/14/26


We’ve spoken and written about empathy for the 20+ years of these customer service tips, noting empathy as the most important quality any individual can have if they want to be great at customer service.  We’ve shared that - in order to serve our customers most effectively – it’s Read more

The Power of Teaching While Helping - 4/7/26


If you’re trying to develop a relationship with the customer rather than just simply handling their transaction and moving on, you are taking a long-term view.  You realize that that individual is someone you want to keep with your business for months or years to come, so it’s a Read more

Bear with Me - 3/31/26


As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to Read more

Slowing Down the Fast Talker - 3/24/26


Jeffrey had always been told by his manager to figure out the issue quickly and wrap up the conversation as fast as possible.  So, Jeffrey was hyper-focused at finding that one key word that could identify the issue and help him to transition quickly to what might be some possible Read more

Don’t Bury the Lede - 3/17/26


Mary was working at the office, and she received an e-mail alert from the water company.  There was a water outage in her neighborhood.  It looked like it was going to be a couple hours to fix the issue. Sure enough, a few hours later around mid-afternoon, Mary received another Read more

Confirm the Real Issue Before You Start Solving - 3/10/26


Have you ever gone “down the rabbit hole?”  It involves going deep into some topic, some discussion – with analysis that creates complexity as much as it resolves it.  And that dive into the rabbit hole often starts with a simple question. Going down that rabbit hole takes time and Read more

One Question to Prevent a Follow-up Call - 3/3/26


The way some performance metrics work, you would think companies would prefer for their staff to talk to the same customer 4 times on the same topic for 8 minutes each rather than talking to them once for 10 minutes.  Many management metrics are too focused on average length Read more

Stay Calm When the Customer Isn’t - 2/24/26


There are all sorts of others’ emotions that you have to deal with as a customer service professional.  The other person could be anxious or upset, they could be angry or agitated.  It can run the gamut of emotions, but for you to deal with them in the best Read more

Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind - 2/17/26


Habit #2 of Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is “Begin with the End in Mind.”  It speaks to the need to have a clear vision or goal for what you’re trying to ultimately achieve, so you understand the purpose of what you’re doing.  It helps you Read more

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Affirming the Customer with Empathy – 4/14/26

Posted on April 14, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

We’ve spoken and written about empathy for the 20+ years of these customer service tips, noting empathy as the most important quality any individual can have if they want to be great at customer service.  We’ve shared that – in order to serve our customers most effectively – it’s vital to have a desire to convey understanding of the other person – what is unique about them and their situation.

And usually when we discuss phrasing that conveys empathy, it relates to your sharing statements like “I can see how ABC can be frustrating” or “I can understand how XYZ could be upsetting.”  You are intellectually conveying an understanding of their feelings, of their position in the matter.

When they share their story, their situation, their challenging emotions, there are other ways you can convey – even more concisely and more simply – some empathy:

“That makes total sense” or “Definitely understandable” or “I get it” or “I understand.”

You’re saying these things with a nodding of the head, with a manner of speaking and a tone of voice that convey warmth and patience.

Even the most simple of “Yes, Sir” and “Yes, Ma’am” in response to those customer comments affirms them, offers empathy.

In these concise examples of empathy, without much being conveyed in your words specifically about their situation, you have to be more conscious of your body language, tone, and focus.  Those communication tools take on greater importance in ensuring you’re conveying affirmation of the person, even if you’re not necessarily agreeing with any points that may be unfounded or untrue. 

When you’re trying to deliver great customer service, empathy is a must, but that doesn’t mean you have to be so specific, so wordy in every communication.  Sometimes brevity is a beautiful thing.

Convey empathy with a few sincere words balanced by a tone and focus to fit the situation.

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Stay Calm When the Customer Isn’t – 2/24/26

Posted on February 24, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

There are all sorts of others’ emotions that you have to deal with as a customer service professional.  The other person could be anxious or upset, they could be angry or agitated.  It can run the gamut of emotions, but for you to deal with them in the best way possible as well as maintain a good mental state in the heat of the moment, it helps if you can stay calm even when the customer isn’t.

I’m not going to talk more about why it’s so important for you to stay calm; let’s just skip to “The How.”

Breathing deeply is hugely beneficial.  But you need to be intentional about your breaths – in slowly and deeply, hold for a second or two, and then out.  Not too loud because you don’t want to sound exasperated – just deep and slow.  This method helps the body to relax, get the pulse rate down, and the consideration of your breath (thinking about your breathing) helps your mind to relax.

Good self-talk is a wonderful thing in these situations.  Tell yourself that their emotions are not about you, they’re about the situation.  Tell yourself that you want to help this person.  Get in the right frame of mind so that your focus is helping this unique person in this – to them – unique situation.

Write down their comments – the “old time” paper/pencil works.  It gives you a focus on a stagnant piece of paper instead of focusing on an agitated customer.  Writing their comments forces you to focus on facts and documentation.  If you mix looks at the paper with looks at the customer, they’ll feel you’re considering what they’re saying is important.  Oh!  And it helps to literally tell them that you’re taking notes because what they’re saying is important.  Let them see your notes – you have nothing to hide; you’re just writing down their words.

When you’re dealing with that emotional customer, to gear down your own emotions, focus on breathing, positive self-talk, and documenting the facts so that you can move that customer more quickly toward a solution.

Stay calm when the customer isn’t.

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Don’t Create the Second Complaint – 12/2/25

Posted on December 2, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative.

After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria told her story, the employee stood there…with a blank face.  There was some eye contact, but otherwise there was basically nothing.  No nodding.  No furrowing of the brow.  No outward signs of inward empathy.

Maria wasn’t getting any reaction, so she just kept talking, although she felt like she was talking to a brick wall.  Eventually Maria stopped, paused, and the employee asked to see her purchase receipt.

Maria’s frustration transitioned from the delayed product and the lack of responsiveness to the situation she was facing at this point – an employee who had not been trained on…how to engage someone who was upset…how to use her body language to convey a little empathy…how to note some understanding and communicate effectively.

Although Maria thought she went to the store solely to get some resolution to her issue, she soon realized what else she wanted.  She wanted to be heard.  She wanted to be understood.  She wanted somebody to convey that they cared.

When you’re dealing with a customer who is upset or frustrated, understand that – for most of them – it’s not just about the issue.  It’s about how they perceive your organization feels about them based on that negative experience.  The situation makes them think that the company doesn’t care, but how you engage them about the situation can convey that the company really does care.

Engage the person when you’re dealing with their issue.  Use your body language and expressions to show you care about them individually, even if the issue with their product or service may have given them the opposite impression.

Avoid giving them an additional reason to complain.

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